There is a gap in our nation’s health care system. Pharmacies need to act now if they want to prove they are the right ones to fill it. One of the long-standing gaps in the American health care system is a lack of accessible, efficient and cost-effective services for individuals in need of a routine
The U.S. prescription drug market has reached half a trillion dollars, much of it dominated by large pharmacy service providers. But with a pie this big, it’s little wonder that new players are looking to horn in on the action — in particular “digital native” start-ups that give customers the direct consumer-centric relationship and flexible
The COVID-19 crisis has undoubtedly changed customer behavior, from how people pay to what they buy. But how has the pandemic specifically affected pharmacy customers? Kearney’s pharmacy customer survey from early fall 2020 reveals that COVID-era customers have new ways of shopping, evolving preferences for obtaining prescriptions and increased expectations of their pharmacies. As the
Ever since its launch as an online bookstore 25 years ago, Amazon has ignored traditional economics as it solves customer challenges in new ways — raising expectations and forcing competitors to do better in the process. Over the past few years, Amazon has ramped up the number of experiments, acquisitions and offerings across the health
Today’s retail pharmacies face increasing pressure from all fronts. Governments are aiming to reduce health care costs, and public sentiment is pushing the industry toward a value-based model. The use of high-cost specialty drugs is increasing dispensing complexity and shifting channel volume — at a time when disruptors like Amazon are poised to impact pricing.
At the top of an organization, the leader (CEO or president) holds a unique responsibility: making the whole of the enterprise worth more than the sum of its parts. In chain pharmacy today, this is a particular challenge that requires customer-centric innovation in order to create outsized value. Consider the “parts” that comprise most modern-day
Editor’s note: This is Part I of an article that ran in the 1/21/19 issue of CDR. As legal cannabis-based products continue to find their way to market, promising to redefine entire categories from health, beauty and wellness to food and beverage in their wake, most chain drug retailers are scrambling to calculate the impact
Editor’s note: The fourth in a series of seven articles by A.T. Kearney on the trends that are radically transforming the health sector. By Todd Huseby and Carol Cruickshank Traditionally, the approach to health in the United States has been reactive or at best responsive. Patients visit their providers only when an issue arises; providers
The high value of pharmaceutical shipments has traditionally meant that all parties in the chain drug industry were primarily concerned with quality. They needed a reliable, transparent solution. Given that shipping represented a tiny percentage of drug costs, price was a lesser concern. But recently shipping rates have increased sharply. Is there anything the industry
On July 4, 2026, when America marks its 250th birthday, will the nation be stable and prosperous? That is the core question behind America@250 — a multiyear initiative launched by A.T. Kearney, in partnership with The Wall Street Journal. Muhtar Kent of Coca-Cola Co., Chip Bergh of Levi Strauss, Rhonda Vetere of Estée Lauder Cos.,
Staying competitive in the fast-moving chain drug store world is hard enough in the best of times. But things may be about to get even tougher. Chain drug operators with significant imports, and the corresponding consumer packaged goods partners, now face potentially significant challenges to their profitability in the form of the uncertainty and mixed-signals
With massive change in the retail pharmacy industry — including mergers and acquisitions, downward pressure on reimbursement rates, consolidation of payers, and a nascent movement to transform pharmacists into providers — now is a good time to take a step back and look at the big picture. What forces will transform the industry, and which
Recent studies point to digital as the primary force driving the business and societal changes that are affecting company operations across industries. Because retail and health care are facing the most disruption, North American pharmacies can no longer afford to watch from the sidelines. While leading players are making fundamental changes to their entire organizations
Marketing is among those operations undergoing a fundamental change in the digital world. Today’s consumer has materially different expectations about how she wants to buy products and services and about how she expects companies to market them to her. In such a dynamic environment, chain drug store executives need to make digital marketing a priority.